Blunt Spell Trauma
by moonswirl
Summary: Gleekathon, days 1010 alternating through 1028: This next Murder Mystery was one he'd held on to, giving an extra challenge. - Updates on Fridays, Sundays, and Tuesdays, for three weeks 9 chapters total
1. I Put A Spell On You

_Started my daily ficlets to make the hiatus pass, then decided to keep going with a 2nd cycle, and then a 3rd, 4th, etc through 48th cycle. Now cycle 49!_

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**"Blunt Spell Trauma"  
Kurt & Co, Blaine, Klaine  
Murder Mystery Dinner  
_(all series now listed under the communities tab in my profile)_**

******1. I Put A Spell On You**

He was always excited for the mysteries he put together, in no small part for how much his players really gave their all. After he'd left McKinley for Dalton, he'd thought those days were over, but then… Rachel, Mercedes, Tina… They had pulled him out of 'retirement' by organizing and surprising him with a mystery dinner. He didn't know a better way to thank them than by pulling out this game next. He'd been holding on to it for a special occasion, partly for the extra elements involved. And then there was the Blaine factor.

He had wanted to bring him in to play with them for this next one, so he had to actually get to it. The way he had it, he would talk to him first, to know if he was on board. He was nervous, he couldn't deny it. Would he laugh, or… One day getting out of class, he'd asked him to meet him at the Lima Bean. As they sat there, he slowly approached the subject, thinking that way he could bow out of the whole thing before he got to the part of asking him.

But Blaine looked enthusiastic, and Kurt couldn't stop smiling. He'd said yes, and with that Kurt was ready to go. He had a game to plan out. He had the broad strokes, but he had to fill the rest, make sure it would go right.

Once that was done though, once he had a stack of envelopes ready to be distributed, he had one more issue: he wasn't actually at McKinley anymore, so he had to find a way to get them there. He knew he could call on some of them to handle it, but he couldn't be completely uninvolved. So he'd called Rachel.

She was immediately thrilled to hear that they were heading to a new game, and she came to retrieve the envelopes along with his instructions. When she would begin her distributions, she was to call him and pass the phone on to the others so he could talk to them. She couldn't keep from asking after her own character, so he obliged her, seeing as she was doing this for him. He also told her what the game would be about.

"There's a sort of… club, or association, in a small town, for witches and warlocks, where they can get together. The people in town, the non-magic folk, they accept them, leave them be, keep their secret, so long as they'll stay in line… But now there's some of them making trouble. You'll play Serena Levy, a witch, one of the good ones."

The next morning, Kurt would be standing by at Dalton, waiting for the call, before classes began. Rachel would head into McKinley, phone and envelopes in hand. As soon as she could see some of them, she dialled up Kurt as she was spotted by Artie, Puck, and Lauren at once. "Yeah, okay, hold on," she told him before looking up to the trio.

"Is that Kurt?" Puck asked, holding his hand out for the phone. Rachel blinked and handed it over, taking this as her cue to dig out the needed envelopes. "He says to put him on speaker," Puck did so. "Hey, it's me, and Lauren, and Artie."

"Good, alright, so listen up." Once he'd given them the plot rundown, he told them about their characters. "Puck, you're the mayor's brother in law, Cole Devereaux. Lauren, you are Clara Martin, a good witch, and Artie you are Victor Connolly, one of the troublemaking warlocks. There's something important you need to remember, it's in your envelopes, but here goes: you need to pay very close attention to everyone when you'll be in the game. I can't say why, but you just have to."

With the three envelopes out, Rachel retrieved her phone and went looking for others. When she saw Finn, she paused, took a breath, and went to him. With Kurt still on speaker, they had gotten right on task, and Finn received his envelope.

"Your character is Bradley Dennings, a good warlock, and Serena's ex." Finn didn't have to ask who played Serena by the look on Rachel's face. She had been quick to move along. Soon after, she had run into Quinn and Sam.

"Hey Kurt," they had greeted the phone, while Rachel was fetching their envelopes. She'd just pulled them out when they were joined by Santana.

"Did you take the reins back?" she asked, before Rachel held out her envelope with a sharp frown. Kurt had given the storyline before taking care of the trio.

"Okay, well let's see. Sam, you are Mayor Wilson Conrad, single father to daughter Sarah, who is in her early twenties."

"Oh, please say it's Quinn," Santana joked, getting a glare.

"No, actually, Quinn will be playing your girlfriend." The girls paused.

"Say that again?" Santana blinked.

"Quinn, you're playing Jillian Berring, and Santana, you're playing Elizabeth Brooks. Both are witches, both on the bad side of it, and they are a couple. Is that a problem for you?" The two looked to one another, silently negotiating.

"We'll be fine," Santana declared. After this, Rachel had moved on to find more of the players. She had four left, so she decided to wrangle them all before getting Kurt to give his next pitch. She found Tina and Mike, then Brittany, and finally Mercedes. With the plot down, they got their envelopes.

"Mercedes and Tina, you are the White sisters." There was a pause, as he imagined the look on their faces. "Mercedes is Marianne White, and Tina is Eveline White. Both are good witches. Mike is Joseph Greenley. He used to date Eveline and is now with Marianne." The girls looked to Mike.

"Come on, dude…" he frowned at the phone, making them smirk.

"You're a good warlock," Kurt went on. "And Brittany, you are Sarah Conrad, the mayor's daughter."

With the McKinley envelopes all gone to their owners, Kurt had thanked Rachel and they'd hung up. Now there was one envelope left, tucked in his history book. When he got to class, he slid it to Blaine.

"What's this?" he smiled, opening it carefully.

"Your character and game information," Kurt nodded. He told him the plot, as he had with the others.

"Great, sounds good," Blaine told him.

"Your character is a good warlock named Elliott Leclerc. He is dating one of the good witches," Kurt went on, almost checking if that was alright, but Blaine smiled.

"And what about you?"

"I play Caleb Martin, one of the troublemaking warlocks but also with some heart," Kurt nodded along.

"You should be great," Blaine decided, and Kurt was growing warm.

"If you're not sure about anything, just let me know. And if you want we can ride to McKinley together on Saturday."

"Count me in."

TO BE CONTINUED (SUNDAY)


	2. Abracadabra

**"Blunt Spell Trauma"**

**2. Abracadabra**

On Saturday, Kurt had packed up his supplies, the food, everything, in his car, before driving off to pick up Blaine. He couldn't explain how pleased he was to be back in mystery night mode. It had always been a problem free aspect of his life, and now he was adding Blaine to that universe.

When he arrived to pick him up, he found the boy standing outside already, and he paused. He'd never seen him out of his Dalton clothes really, let alone a costume... His jaw dropped a little. It wasn't like they were employing the old conical hats, or cloaks. They would dress normally, but it didn't stop them from seeking out a certain style to set them apart, depending on their character. Blaine looked kind of... Mellow, almost hippy-light. Kurt had the time it took for him to walk to the car to let the sight of him to settle in his mind. Blaine sat in the passenger side and looked to Kurt.

"This is new," he looked impressed, and Kurt smiled. His hair was pulled back, not nearly as high as usual, his clothes dark. He looked in the back, saw all the boxes and containers.

"I'm going to need help setting up."

"Okay, let's go."

They got to school, and Rachel was waiting there, with the keys. Her own outfit felt like it fit well to Blaine's, style wise. They unloaded the boxes, carrying them into the school, some to the kitchens, others to the gym. After they had used it for their previous game, he was seeing the benefit of using that room instead of the show choir, with the size of it, the spread.

"Rachel, can you take care of the dinner?" Kurt asked her. "I have a lot to set up in the gym," he explained.

"Sure, no problem."

"Everything is mostly ready, you'll figure it out, and if you're not sure, I'm not far," he promised, thanking her with a nod before leading Blaine back to the gym. There, he pulled one box forward, putting it on a step in the bleachers before opening it and pulling something out. He turned to Blaine. "Give me your arm," he commanded with a smile. When Blaine did as told, he had a small smirk himself.

Kurt strapped a sort of stick at his arm, aligned at his arm, ending just about at his wrist. "What's that for?" Kurt tapped at the end of the stick and it lit up. "What's it for?" Blaine smiled, while Kurt re-tapped the end.

"Just bend your hand down to touch the end, then hold your hand out," Kurt mimed, and Blaine imitated him. "Until we somehow find a way to develop actual powers, we'll just have to use this to signal that we've cast a spell or used magic somehow," he explained.

"I like that," Blaine nodded.

"That's not all," Kurt tried not to sound too excited but it was hard, with how glad he was that his ideas were impressing Blaine. He pulled another box, from which he pulled an odd little pouch. "I had to test these,may more times than I'll admit, but I wanted to make sure they'd work. I call them magic bombs." With a flick of the wrist, he tossed out the thing, and when it hit the ground, it burst open with blue confetti. "It works when it hits people, too... Ask my dad," he blinked. Burt had been a good sport, though after a while of failed attempts, he'd get tired.

"That is really good," Blaine looked even more impressed.

"I have a whole bunch of them," he showed the box. "I tried to use as many different colors as possible so everyone has a different one. Everyone's got five pouches, I have to tell them to be moderate..."

"Anything else?" Blaine asked.

"Well, one thing, but I can't tell you yet," he smiled, a look of mischief on his face. "I wanted to try and rig some of the magic bombs at the ceiling, but there's only so much I can do," he indicated the high ceiling. "I had some ideas that were better than others, let's leave it at that."

With the test 'magic bomb' cleaned up, they had set everything up before going out to meet the others, who would have started to arrive. They were all huddled in their groups already.

The 'good witches and warlocks,' presently Mike, Finn, Tina, Mercedes, and Lauren, stood to one side. Their looks fit well with Blaine's and Rachel's as well, though everyone had their personal touches. Tina seemed very into flowers, while Mercedes was all about the flow. Finn looked fairly normal, not 'screaming' that he. iChat have been different. Mike looked the most zen of them all, but in a way that still gave sense that they shouldn't mess with him. And the Lauren, well... her policy seemed to be 'I may look dark,' but I am as good as they come.'

On the other side, the 'bad ones,' here Artie, Santana, and Quinn, all looked ready to make an impression. Artie had adopted the shadowy figure, down to the eyeliner, his glasses absent - he'd later assure them he had contacts. The girls looked ready to embody Jillian and Elizabeth, already giving subtle attention to one another. Santana's long dress made her an impressive sight, while Quinn looked like a deceptive flower, a rose with too many thorns to know what to do with.

And then there were Brittany, Sam, and Puck, the city folk. Brittany had that whole sort of innocent thing going for Sarah. Her 'uncle' Puck looked like he might not be a smiling supporter to the other groups, while her 'father,' the mayor, was definitely warm looking, leaving to see if that'd just be a front.

Rachel would soon rejoin them, moving to her group, along with Blaine. Kurt would equip his witches and warlocks with their 'spell indicators' and their load of 'magic bombs.' Their non-magic folk looked disappointed in some parts, but they'd get over it. They had their places to take, a game to start. Once he was sure everyone and everything was ready, he took a breath. They were set to go.

TO BE CONTINUED (TUESDAY)


	3. A Little Hocus Pocus

_Started my daily ficlets to make the hiatus pass, then decided to keep going with a 2nd cycle, and then a 3rd, 4th, etc through 48th cycle. Now cycle 49!_

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**"Blunt Spell Trauma"**

**3. A Little Hocus Pocus**

****_Mike as Joseph Greenley  
Blaine as Elliott Leclerc  
Finn as Bradley Dennings  
Tina as Eveline White  
Mercedes as Marianne White  
Rachel as Serena Levy  
Lauren as Clara Martin  
Kurt as Caleb Martin  
Artie as Victor Connolly  
Santana as Elizabeth Brooks  
Quinn as Jillian Berring  
Puck as Cole Devereaux  
Sam as Wilson Conrad  
Brittany as Sarah Conrad_

There was always something in the air this time of the year, knowing what was going on in that building at the end of Redfield Road. The club was open year round, but people came and went. It was only once a year that they all gathered, for their festival, no absences. Some returned to town, though most lived there year round. This situation was one the non-magic folk accepted to some degree or another, so long as everyone respected one another, as long as no one caused trouble…

Cole Devereaux had never been a supporter of 'those people,' though he held his tongue most times. This time around, there was no such luck. The decades-long truce had grown frayed, with some of the witch folk crossing the line. He had to talk to his brother-in-law. If having this connection with the mayor wasn't beneficial, then… He went looking for him, finding him and his niece Sarah sat at a table in their garden. His brother-in-law was beloved in their town, a smiling caring guy if ever there was one. As for his niece, she was so soft-spoken and light on her feet, sometimes you didn't even know she was there at first.

"Wilson, listen, you have to do something about those people," he stopped before the table. The mayor looked up, observing his brother-in-law.

"Everything is under control," he insisted, looking to his daughter with a smile. Her reactions always seemed on delay, but then she smiled back.

At the house on Redfield Road, the mood was one of festivity, of welcoming, even where they all knew there was tension building. Most people would spread out, talk with some before moving along to others. But then there were some who were notably gathered apart from the rest. They didn't give anyone any sort of desire to join them, and they liked it that way, honestly. If there was any sort of meeting of eyes, it would be between Caleb Martin and his sister. Clara did not approve of the path her brother was taking, and she stood staring at him from across the room. He tried not to look at her, but he felt her eyes on him, and he couldn't help himself.

"Hey, Clara…" Jillian smirked, standing at Caleb's side, waving to the girl and laughing to herself.

"Stop," Caleb told her, and she frowned.

"You're no fun," she rested her chin just over his shoulder before moving back to Elizabeth, who was standing with Victor, the two of them laughing it up as well, hands angled toward a group on the other side. They had been friends as long as they could remember, had even dated briefly, although now Victor lived out of town, so getting them back together was like an invitation to their usual shenanigans. "What's going on here," Jillian asked.

"Hold on," Elizabeth wound her arm and they watched as seconds later there was a burst of green at Joseph Greenley's back. He turned, as did those standing around him. The pair didn't try hiding, just high fiving.

"Don't get him in a mood now, he's going to be crabby all weekend, and I want to have fun," Jillian pouted to her girlfriend.

"This is fun," Elizabeth shrugged. "Isn't it?"

"Hoot and a half," Victor met Joseph's eye and mock yawned before pointing at him. A second later, Joseph was unconscious on the ground. Jillian laughed. "See?"

"Yeah, alright…"

Those who'd stood near Joseph were quick to huddle around him. "He's going to be out for a while," Serena declared, examining him. There was no official leader of any sort, though if anyone was to speak on their behalf, it would usually be her. They all respected her on that authority, though some less so, and those would be either those who didn't care for the witches and warlocks in general, or those who were fast becoming a nuisance among them.

"Something needs to be done," Marianne declared, crouching at Joseph's side. "It's getting out of hand." Serena knew what she meant, they all did. Among them it was all pranks and hexes, but with the non-magic folk, it was another matter. She looked to them.

"I was hoping it wouldn't come to this so soon in our time together here," she started to move toward them, just as the doors opened and in walked Mayor Conrad, his daughter, and his brother-in-law. This caused an immediate stir. Any of 'them' who would enter the house would have to be invited and even then it would leave some of them apprehensive. It being the mayor though, nothing could be done, not really.

"Mayor Conrad," Serena peacefully approached. "To what do we owe the honor?" she asked. Behind her, the whispers were running rampant.

"Miss Levy, I'm sorry for the intrusion, it seems we have a problem, a few complaints I have to address."

"Complains?" she asked. "Against whom?"

"Start with those over there," Cole pointed to Caleb, Victor, Elizabeth, and Jillian.

"No…" Sarah spoke up all of a sudden, taking them by surprise. "He's no trouble," she nodded toward Caleb, smiling. This sent voices up once more, and eyes turned to the warlock, who didn't look like he felt the need to hide, he looked to the girl, who kept smiling. Before this could get out of hand, Serena spoke up again.

"Please, Mr. Mayor, we would be happy to hear out what you have to say. All we ask is for this to be done in peace."

"Yes, as always, I'm with you, Miss Levy." She bowed her head, indicating for them to step forward. Some sat, others stood back. They were going to have to endure this, all of them, whether they liked it or not, so they might as well get along with it.

"We're tired of you people marching in here, telling us how to live. This is why I left," Victor smacked the table.

"Victor, please contain yourself," Serena raised her hand. "Mayor Conrad, Mr. Devereaux, we are aware of some of our members… and their indiscretions…"

"So what are you going to do about it?" Cole spoke up.

"It will be handled, you have my word. All I ask is for the chance to handle this on our own." The mayor held, considered, then stood.

"Alright." Now Cole stood.

"Wilson…" he started, but the mayor held up his hand.

"I trust Miss Levy, let's go. Come along, Sarah." He offered his hand to his daughter, who took it, throwing a look to Caleb over her shoulder. He was getting some looks himself, they all were.

TO BE CONTINUED (FRIDAY)


	4. Cursed to Death

_Started my daily ficlets to make the hiatus pass, then decided to keep going with a 2nd cycle, and then a 3rd, 4th, etc through 48th cycle. Now cycle 49!_

* * *

**"Blunt Spell Trauma"**

**4. Cursed to Death  
(cast list in previous chapter)**

Hours had passed, and while discussions had stretched to an impasse, they had split off to their corners it seemed. But then for the second time that day, the doors had opened, and in walked two unannounced guests, returning. The mayor, with his brother-in-law by his side, strode up toward the various clusters, looking more concerned than the last time they had seen him.

"Is she here?" They looked to one another, lost.

"Is who here?" Elliott asked.

"Sarah. She's disappeared, and… you," he looked to Caleb. "Did she come here?"

"I haven't seen her," he shook his head.

"Accusing us, Mayor Conrad?" Jillian spoke up. "And here I thought you liked us…" she pouted.

"Where's Miss Levy? Let me talk with her," the mayor insisted. She was not there, which they now came to notice, along with another.

"Where's Victor?" Elizabeth frowned.

"What's that?" Cole pointed, and they turned to find a trail of lights coming on along the ground, coming toward them.

"It's a spell," Caleb provided. The others looked to one another; this didn't bode well. Still, slowly, they started to follow the line, dots of light guiding them. Hands hovered at the ready, to defend themselves if need be.

The lights guided them though, and as they went further, they found a new trail, one of yellow and purple, and then the trails all ended, and they all paused, in shocked silence at what they found before their eyes.

The three bodies were splayed about the ground, though their feet all remained pooled together. With their eyes open, it was clear to any and all they weren't asleep. Still, Elizabeth rushed forward first, kneeling to make sure this wasn't a spell. When she realized it wasn't, she was left startled, looking to her friend, dear Victor, who rested there dead with Serena Levy and Sarah Conrad.

"Let me through!" the mayor begged, and the others stepped aside, allowing him and his brother-in-law passage, knowing the next moments would not be easy. When he saw his daughter there on the ground, he rushed forward, barely giving Elizabeth a chance to step back before he was there on his knees to gather the blonde up. "Sarah? Wake up now," he begged, giving her a shake. She wouldn't wake. "Please, sweetheart, wake up now," he asked, at a loss. Cole looked to his niece, just as shocked, before turning on the collected group quietly mourning as well, for the other two. "Which one of you did this to my niece," his look was lethal.

"It wasn't us," Elliott declared. "We didn't even know she was here."

"Please, you've got my brother-in-law fooled, but not me!" he shouted. "One of you did this, now man up."

"In case you haven't noticed, there are three bodies," Jillian pointed to the ground. "Your niece wasn't the only victim here."

"Well I'm sure they had it coming," his words were like a flame lit next to a fault of dynamite. All those before him had their hands up and lit at him, a unified front for once.

"Stop!" Wilson called, still on the ground with Sarah. "Cole, stop making it worse. Everyone, you know I've always been there to support you, and I've respected you. Now I need your help, as much as you need mine. I want to find the person responsible for what happened to my daughter, to Miss Levy, and to Mr. Connolly. I beg you…"

"We'll help," Caleb spoke up, and they saw now how red his eyes had gotten, brimmed with tears. He was looking not to his friend, or his old friend, but to the human girl in her father's arms, and he had a duty set to achieve. "I swear," he looked to the others, urging them to get on board. Some took longer than others, but they agreed.

"Thank you," Mayor Conrad bowed his head, looking to Sarah again, but also the others. He didn't know Victor Connolly that well, but he was very familiar with Serena Levy of course. None of them deserved this, and he couldn't help but look at the group before him, wondering if one of them was lying to his face.

"You know, there is one way we can settle this," Eveline spoke, stepping forward. "We could ask them."

"What are you saying?" the mayor asked.

"You have a room full of witches and warlocks. If we can't raise a few spirits, then what's the point," Clara explained to him. They were on board, all parties, so that was decided.

An arm was raised in the air, the light blinking on and off three times: game pause. "Okay, we can hold here for dinner," Kurt declared. After a beat, the three pairs of dead open eyes blinked.

"Can I get a hand?" Artie asked, and Mike came up to help him back into his chair. Rachel sat up, stretching before standing, while Brittany stared up to her 'father' with a smirk before he helped her up.

"I'm starving. Being dead is exhausting," she declared.

"Well, everyone follow me, dinner will be served," Kurt resumed host duties, leading his troupe off.

"I didn't even know," Rachel was telling Mercedes and Tina. "I didn't know I'd die, but then he handed me a card, during the game," she indicated Kurt.

The group came to sit around the table previously set, and Kurt served them, with Rachel and Blaine's help, as before the game had started. Finally they were good to start their dinner, a break in the mystery.

TO BE CONTINUED (SUNDAY)


	5. Pull Back

_Started my daily ficlets to make the hiatus pass, then decided to keep going with a 2nd cycle, and then a 3rd, 4th, etc through 48th cycle. Now cycle 49!_

* * *

**"Blunt Spell Trauma"**

**5. Pull Back**

He doubted he had ever agonized over the actual meal as much as he had with this one. It was his 'grand return'… and there was Blaine… but mostly his return… he'd say. Eventually he had to force himself to stop making changes. He had prepared it all, though Rachel would finish it, and now as they sat at the table, he thought he had done very well after all.

Kurt sat at one end of the table. To his left were Blaine, Puck, Mercedes, Lauren, Finn, and Brittany, leading to Artie at the other end. To Kurt's right sat Rachel, Tina, Mike, Sam, Quinn, and Santana, who was on Artie's other side.

"Thank you for being here once again tonight," Kurt raised his glass. "And a welcome to Blaine among us," he bowed his head to him, and the boy gave a semi-shy smile. "Now eat up, we have a game to get back to." That gave the cue as they got to eating. A few of them would trip the lights at their wrists as they ate, so they would take them off.

"You've put a lot of thought into this one," Tina commented, which made Kurt smile.

"Been waiting to do it for a while, so there's been time to develop it, I… Brittany…" he paused when the light caught his eyes. She had snatched up Artie's wrist light and put it to her own arm before making it blink on and off. When her name was called, she looked up, turning the light off.

"What, I didn't get one," she shrugged.

"Fine, just watch where you point that thing," he told her.

"So what's the big mystery here?" Santana spoke up. When he gave her a look, she rolled her eyes. "Relax, not digging for spoilers or anything. In the envelope, you said we had to… pay close attention to everyone else. So what's that about?"

"You'll find out soon enough," was all Kurt would volunteer, though the thinly-veiled amusement it brought him was getting him the stink-eye from Santana. He didn't pay attention to it so much, instead sneaking off looks to Blaine at his left. "How do you like it so far? Are you unsure about anything, do you have any questions?" he eventually asked.

"No, I'm good, really," he nodded. "I'm still finding my way, but I think I'm getting the hang of it," he promised.

"Good," he told him before reaching in his jacket pocket for three thin envelopes. "Guys, if I can get your attention for a second?" he raised his voice. When they turned, he showed them the envelopes. "So you all know who's coming, these are the new characters for those who died. When you get your envelope, please don't open them yet, wait until you're changing, there are clothes waiting in the choir room." When he got three nods, he handed two of the envelopes to Blaine and indicated for him to pass it down. The envelopes travelled down until they reached Brittany and Artie, while Kurt handed the third one to Rachel on his right. "Rachel, you'll become Katherine Connolly, one of the troublemakers, and Victor's sister."

"Got it," she nodded.

"Brittany, you'll be Cassandra Martin, a good witch, and mine and Lauren's sister." The blonde grinned, gripping the light at her wrist: now she'd get one. "And Artie, you'll be David Jansen, one of the townspeople, the mayor's nephew." Artie looked to Sam, nodding to him.

With the dinner progressing, names would get tossed around as they tried to figure out who the guilty one would be. It got to the point of wagers being tossed around as well. When a 'magic bomb' entered the mix and spilled confetti over a series of plates, Kurt had called the meal done, telling everyone to get back into the gym and wait for him, and for the three who had to change to get on that.

Rachel, Brittany, and Artie went into the choir room, clutching their envelopes with curiosity and some giddiness. They were like the special ones. They'd get to know something the others didn't, if Kurt's instructions to wait were any indication.

"Come on, hurry," Brittany laughed, taking the handles on Artie's chair to push him and get to the choir room faster. Rachel hurried to keep up with them. When they reached the room they found clothes, and make up. They looked to one another, and they silently agreed: envelopes first. They each tore theirs open and pulled out what they found to be a single sheet inside. They paused, then read the small amount of text on their sheet. They hesitated, looking back up.

"Can I see yours?" Rachel asked the other two. Brittany gave hers up.

"Might as well," Artie gave his too. Rachel looked to all three sheets, and after a moment she gasped.

"Oh, I see…" she showed to the other two, and they smirked. "Come on, let's get changed." They moved to do this. It wouldn't be a drastic transformation, especially for Brittany, going from mayor's daughter to good witch, though it would involve Artie toning down and Rachel toning… well, up. Once they were ready, they headed to the gym.

There they found the group waiting, while Kurt was setting up the lights previously set as the trail, into a circle in the middle, wide enough to hold several people. Right now what it held were three long shapes under a white sheet.

"Is that supposed to be us?" Rachel whispered to the others.

"We're right here," Brittany frowned.

"I mean Sarah and Serena and Victor…"

"Okay," Kurt's voice drew their attention. "We pick up shortly after. The bodies have been moved, ready for what will come next."

"Which is what exactly?" Lauren asked.

"It's not an exact science here. We're not witches or warlocks… Just follow my lead."

TO BE CONTINUED (TUESDAY)


	6. Awaken Spirits

Cast update:  
Rachel as Katherine Connolly  
Brittany as Cassandra Martin  
Artie as David Jansen

* * *

**"Blunt Spell Trauma"**

**6. Awaken Spirits**

Everyone was quiet as they returned to the bodies, came to stand in a pack, unsure where to go in some cases. Caleb took the lead.

"We'll need volunteers."

"Volunteers for what?" Cole asked, still apprehensive about the whole thing.

"To receive the spirits of those three who died," Caleb explained. "One for each."

"I'll do it," Katherine Connolly stepped up, solemn. "If it will help find who did this to my brother."

"Me too," Cassandra Martin stepped forward. "I'll help."

"We need one more," Caleb looked to the others, the men in particular. After a moment, one came forward.

"Use me," David Jansen looked to Caleb.

"David…" Cole tried to stop him.

"No, I want to. For Sarah," he looked back to his uncle, who nodded to him with gratitude.

"Please join the bodies," Caleb gestured, and the three volunteers did as told. "Everyone else, except Mayor Conrad and Mr. Devereaux, form a circle." They came into place, spaced out evenly. "Close your eyes," he instructed the three in the middle. "Concentrate."

Caleb would lead the charge, everyone doing as he did. To an outsider's eye, in the gym rather than the house on Redfield Road, each of them would be aligned to a light on the ground. One by one they would touch the edge of the light with their feet to turn them on. They would reach in their pockets, or wherever they'd kept them, and they pulled out a magic bomb. They held it in their hands, outstretched, giving the small pouch enough of a squeeze to perforate it before tossing its contents, sending a rainbow sprinkling of confetti over the three with their eyes closed and the three shapes of 'bodies' on the ground. The circle would close their eyes as well, concentrating.

The mayor and his brother-in-law watched the silent group standing there, doing whatever it was that they did. The mayor would look to the shapes on the ground, thinking of the fact that one of them was his daughter, taken from him, and that her killer was likely one of those trying to bring her back. As for Cole, he still looked uneasy about the whole thing, but for all his issues with those people, he was just trying to remember the fact that his dear niece was dead, and they could find her killer.

"Keep it steady everyone…" Caleb spoke up, while the three in the circle collapsed.

"What's happening?" Cole asked. "Are you hurting them?"

"Everyone's fine. Please, this is critical, we have to stay focused. They need to become dormant in order to give way…"

When eyes began to open on the ground, the mayor neared the circle. He searched the girls' faces. "Sarah? Are you in there?" he begged. No one answered. "Why aren't they saying anything?" The circle opened their eyes.

"They'll need a moment to adjust," Caleb promised, observing the trio. The confusion in their eyes told him at the very least they had been successful in the possession. Still he looked a bit uncertain.

"What?" Cole saw this and asked after it.

"I don't know yet, it's just a feeling," he looked around to the others in the circle; they were feeling it, too. The mayor wasn't distracted, turning back to the girls.

"Sarah, sweetheart?"

"Daddy?" the response came from neither Katherine nor Cassandra. They turned to find the pleading voice had been David's. The mayor frowned, confused. "What's happening?" the tone was definitely not David's, and you could imagine the sweet disposition of Sarah Conrad. "What's…" 'Sarah' noticed the change in her voice, reached for her throat, and now so many other things came to be noticed, that she was suddenly a boy, for one… She screamed. This led to the others starting to take conscience.

"What are they doing here again?" the glare on Katherine Connolly's face was all too familiar for some of them.

"Victor?" Elizabeth blinked. "Is that you?"

"Of course it's…" he paused, looking down. "What's…" He saw the body he was in, definitely female. "Alright, what happened here?" he looked around.

"We died." Cassandra Martin had sat up, her back straight, poised, her eyes turned to the covered bodies. She looked back to the other two. "Now we're back," Serena Levy spoke through her.

"I… Is this… Am I my sister?" Victor frowned, touching his stomach, startling when his fingers touched what would be Katherine's breasts. "This is not right!" he didn't know where to put his hands, sticking them behind his back, though this wasn't safe either.

"How do you think I feel?" Sarah looked ready to hyperventilate herself into a panic. "I'm a boy!" She didn't look too sure where to put her hands either now. "Dad?" she turned to the mayor. He looked positively traumatized to look at his nephew's face, recognizing his daughter in his eyes.

"What happened?" he looked to Caleb, who was looking to Sarah/David, too.

"We brought them back, you get what you get," he explained. Sarah went to her cousin, Victor went to his sister, and Serena went to a trusted friend. The important thing is they are here. Now we can find out what really happened."

"Wait… So we are dead?" Victor looked up, now less preoccupied with where he was, more so with why he was there. "How did that happen?"

The others paused, surprised. "You don't know?" the mayor asked.

"No idea…" Victor shook his sister's head.

TO BE CONTINUED (FRIDAY)


	7. What Magic Can't Do

Cast updates:  
Rachel as Victor Conolly (in the body of Katherine Connolly)  
Artie as Sarah Conrad (in the body of David Jansen)  
Brittany as Serena Levy (in the body of Cassandra Martin)

* * *

**"Blunt Spell Trauma"**

**7. What Magic Can't Do**

The problems were starting to pile on, and this was bound to give voice to some. "I don't like this…" Cole spoke up. "You're messing with things that shouldn't be messed with. They died, isn't that trauma enough? Now you bring them back in bodies like… like this…" he gestured to David, hosting Sarah, and his 'niece' looked down at herself and squirmed. "And now you've gotten their memories wrong, too?" Caleb looked to the mayor, and as silent as he remained, it made it clear he had apprehension now, too, looking to his daughter move through his nephew.

"It's possible… What they've been through, they've blocked the event. This is as normal for them as it is for those of us still living… This is the biggest thing that could have happened, what did you expect?"

"I don't know… I'm sorry, please," the mayor nodded for them to go on. Caleb looked to the others in the circle, to the trio within.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Elliott was the first to speak up. The trio paused to think, though some needed more time than others to look past their present situation and focus on the task at hand.

"The mayor came, and we all talked," Serena began. "After he left, we continued. Things were not getting anywhere and we took a break," she went on.

"I remember that, too," Victor frowned. "And let me tell you, it would have continued that way if it were up to me. They may pretend like they're okay with us, but we all know it's a lie. Well I'm tired of playing pretend, we all are. This was our town and…"

"Victor, please," Elizabeth raised her voice. "It's not the time for that. You're dead…" she looked like she wanted to cry, and it made Victor/Katherine focus.

"I don't remember," he insisted. We were talking, like she said, and then… I don't know."

"Sarah?" Caleb looked to the boy who hosted her. She looked up. "What happened after you left here?"

"I wanted to see you," she lamented. "I snuck back here, and then… and then…" she shook her head, at a loss; she couldn't recall.

"So they don't remember. How about the rest of us? When did any of us see them last?" Jillian asked. "Did anyone see when Miss Conrad arrived?" Everyone shook their heads.

"It's no surprise, she does that a lot, sneaking around…" Caleb had to smile, though then it faded. "She did…"

"Caleb, I'm still here…" Sarah begged, moving forward.

"No, but you're not," he looked at her. "And as you are now, you won't be here for long," he told her, making her retreat in sadness.

"Okay, well then how about you two?" Marianne asked Serena and Victor. They looked to one another. Victor frowned, as he would.

"I spoke to Serena…" Bradley spoke up. "About forty minutes before we found the bodies." They waited for him to go on, to say what they had spoken of. "I told her she should be in charge, to make it… official." This sent up some noise from all those who saw things as Victor did. "We were doing fine!" Bradley turned to them. "Until you started making trouble."

"He's right," Eveline nodded. "We didn't need to hand out titles before, because everyone understood as long as we coexisted fine, but then you had to go and cause problems for all of us… and look… look where we are…" she gestured to the bodies.

"And that's our fault?" Elizabeth spat.

"Wouldn't be surprised at this point," Clara glared.

"Clara…" Caleb looked to his sister.

"I can't believe you'd even side with them. You're one of us, you're my brother, Cassie's brother," she pointed to their sister, presently hosting Serena.

"You wouldn't understand," Caleb wouldn't look at her.

"Yeah, apparently not," Clara stepped back with something like disgust.

"Leave it alone, okay?" Elliott looked to her.

"He's right," Joseph stepped up. "What's important is this, finding out what happened. The rest can wait. Anyone see Serena after Bradley? Anyone see Victor?"

"Last time I saw him was when they made us wake you up," Elizabeth pointed to Joseph with a smirk. "Did you always have a bumpy head or was that us?" she asked sweetly.

"So anyone see him after that?" Joseph glared at her. "Or Serena?" People shook their heads. "What about before that? Anything… odd, or important, that might…"

"It's been nothing but important," Jillian cut him off. "You act like we'll all just forget, because of what happened. But Victor was right, and so's Liz," she stepped up, pointing to each of them. Victor had a look of pride as he stood listening, while Elizabeth nodded along, and Caleb looked uncomfortable. "We were supposed to have a place here, but I know you see the way they look at us, treat us, because they'll have done the same to you."

"A man has a right to his opinion," Cole raised his voice, and Jillian glared.

"Yeah? Well so does a woman, now… shut it," she threw out her hand and he was hit with orange. He went to yell, but no sound came from his throat and he grabbed at it while Jillian smirked, and Elizabeth took up her arm, pleased as well.

"Thank you… so much," she told her, and Jillian turned her smirk to her.

"Stop, please," Serena spoke, loud enough to make them all turn. "If we want what we want, we have to find the answer first."

TO BE CONTINUED (SUNDAY)


	8. Black Magic, White Magic

A/N: Latest cast changes in previous chapter. Final chapter on Tuesday!

* * *

**"Blunt Spell Trauma"**

**8. Black Magic, White Magic**

It had just sort of happened that they had begun to retreat into their groups as they began to discuss things, tried to understand for themselves what had happened to one or the other. The mayor would be made to listen to his brother-in-law, while Caleb had Elizabeth and Jillian to contend with. The biggest group was that of Joseph, Elliott, Bradley, Eveline, Marianne, and Clara. This left the three hosts in the middle, stranded in their awkward states. As much as they wanted to, they didn't know how to deal with them.

The mayor was growing preoccupied. He was looking to the rest of them, to his 'daughter,' and as much as he didn't want to, he had to ask.

"Swear to me on your sister's grave that you had nothing to do with this," he looked Cole in the eye. His brother-in-law looked surprised, then insulted.

"How dare you, Wilson, how dare you suggest I would ever harm anyone, especially Sarah!" he faced him.

"But what about the other two? You have made your position clear on the rest of them for a long time, so what am I supposed to think?"

"How about you remember who I am. I am not a killer."

"Then where were you?" the mayor asked.

"I was at home… trying to find some way to get you to put your foot down and do something about those freaks," he volunteered. "Then when you called about Sarah, I came right over."

On the other side of the room, Caleb was growing despondent, sitting quietly while the other two argued. "Everyone is going to assume it's one of us, you know," Jillian stared at the other groups, looked back to the pair of them with her.

"Well it's easy for them, isn't it?" Elizabeth frowned.

"Like we didn't give them reason to," Caleb spoke flatly.

"You're not going soft on us, are you?" Jillian got up in his face and he turned to her. "We let you in, even with your sisters over there, so you might want to decide where you want to belong."

"That hasn't changed," he assured her. "But it doesn't mean they're not at least a little right." The girls had little to say in reply; they knew he had a point.

In another corner, with more voices, it was harder to make sense of much once they all got talking, and someone had to take charge. "Alright, stop," Clara spoke first. "This is ridiculous, we are never going to get anywhere this way.

"You're right," Eveline nodded. "Sorry."

"Good, alright," she nodded back, taking a breath. "Let me just open by saying I don't think anyone here is guilty. If anything, it's one of those," she indicated the two girls with her brother. "Or our number one supporter, Mr. Devereaux," she tilted her head back.

"The crazy thing is they're probably saying the same things about us right now," Marianne pointed out.

In the center, still left at the side of their dead bodies, the hosted spirits looked from one group to the next. All they could do was wait, if they had to guess. Sarah was very quietly moving about, ignored by the other two. Serena sat as peaceful as ever despite the situation, while Victor paced about with nothing but his glare to depend on.

"Always so angry," Sarah slipped past behind him, startling him.

"Did you know it is not nice to sneak up on people like this," he told her, but she wasn't thrown.

"She has a point," Serena told him.

"Now don't you start," Victor pointed at her. "I didn't put you in charge, no one did, so stop acting like we did."

"I never did that," Serena maintained.

"Sure, you keep telling yourself that," Victor glared.

"Have either of you been able to remember more of what happened?" Sarah thought, then shook her head with some desperation. "It's okay, neither have I," Serena promised. They turned to Victor, who frowned.

"Figures you'd put yourself in charge of everyone again."

"Do you remember more?" Serena asked.

"Even if I did, I wouldn't tell you," he chuckled proudly.

"Which means you might know now…" Sarah approached. "Oh please tell me you do," she begged.

"Get away from me, you're nothing to me, to my people," he glared at the girl, who scurried back.

"She's no different than us," Serena spoke.

"Well that's where you and I disagreed…"

TO BE CONCLUDED (TUESDAY)


	9. A Magical Night

_A/N: Last chapter! If you have any requests or ideas for the next Murder Mystery Dinner, let me know and I might do it! ;)_

* * *

**"Blunt Spell Trauma"**

**9. A Magical Night**

Most of them were so trapped inside anger and fear it was hard to see past those emotions and start to assemble thoughts. Maybe for that, it was not in the smaller groups that an answer began to take shape. In the group of six though, Eveline White had taken the time, and she had observed the other group. And then she had a thought.

"Can't believe we didn't…" she said to herself, moving toward the hosted spirits, which drew the others back in. "All this time we've been so stuck on who of us could have done it, no one even suggested it could be one of them," she pointed to the trio. The others looked where she pointed, as the trio itself reacted. This reaction prompted another to catch on to something.

"You know, don't you," Jillian looked to Victor. He looked to her, though not properly in the eye.

"Don't you think I'd tell you if I did?"

"No, actually I don't," Elizabeth spoke up, and to have his best friend deny him, Victor showed anger. "Now I think it was you."

"Should have known," Caleb shook his head. "Their feet were locked together," he reminded them.

"It wasn't… I didn't…" Victor looked to Sarah and Serena, to one with regret almost, the other with resentment. Now some things connected for the others.

"She snuck up on you, didn't she?" Cole looked to his niece, to Victor.

"I didn't see her until it was too late," Victor bowed his head.

"But you did plan to kill her," Elliott guessed, looking to Serena.

"He did…" Sarah was the one to answer, her face lighting up like she was starting to remember. "I… I came looking for Caleb, but then I heard… shouting. I followed, and then I saw him, and her. He was going to hurt her, and… I tried to stop him, only…"

"The spell backfired…" Jillian understood.

"Dad always said they were good people, even if some of them were harder to get along with, and I didn't want Miss Levy to get hurt," Sarah went on. "But now…" The Mayor looked on with a sad pride.

"What happens now?" he asked.

"Now we do all we can do," Joseph nodded. "We release their spirits."

"And they… move on?" Cole asked.

"I don't know that they will," Caleb revealed. "The way they died… I believe they're locked together, for good." The trio looked to one another. "Gather around everyone," he told the others, who reformed their circle. This time they would…

"Wait…" the mayor interrupted. "Please… let me say goodbye to my daughter while I can," he begged. This resonated through all of them, as some gathered to say goodbye to Sarah, while others said goodbye to Serena, even those who had 'parted' from her side of things. Victor remained on his own, unwelcome, and this made him decide something: he didn't have to stay… This was his sister's body, after all, she wouldn't mind, he thought. He backed away, making a run for it.

"Hey!" Clara was the one to notice, and at once Jillian, Elizabeth, and the White sisters took off after him. They caught him, dragging him back.

"Let me go!" he screeched, fighting against their hold.

"Get him back in the circle, Serena, you hold on to him!" Caleb directed, as the four girls dropped off the killer to be held in place in the circle. "Everyone gather, now!" Caleb told them, and they did so, while Victor continued to thrash and shout. Hands lit up all around, and after a few moments, the fight went out in 'Victor' as the three spirits left the bodies, made dormant before. Finally, the souls of David Jensen, Katherine Connolly, and Cassandra Martin reawakened, confused and unaware. Katherine saw she was resting against Cassandra and she scrambled to her feet.

"What happened? Did you find out who killed my brother?" she asked. Everyone looked around, hesitant to speak.

But then the signal was given, the light blinking… The game was done. As it would, it took a beat for everyone to let go of their characters and become themselves again.

"What do we do with these now?" Finn asked, showing his remaining magic bombs. Santana smirked, answering by tossing one of hers at him.

"That," she nodded, igniting a rapid and colorful explosion of confetti.

"Alright, thank you, now go so I can clean this up!" Kurt shook his head, though he was laughing.

"I had a great time," Tina told him with a smile. "And I loved the twists."

"And you solved it," Mike looked to her with a smile of his own as they began to trail off, little by little. A few offered to help with the clean-up, but just as with the set up, it came down to Kurt, and Rachel, and Blaine. Rachel had gone to take care of the kitchen, leaving Kurt and Blaine to handle the gym. Kurt had packed a dust buster, which he used to suck up the confetti piles.

"Looks like we killed a rainbow," Kurt frowned. Blaine was working to nudge the confetti into neater piles, to make it a faster pick up for Kurt. "You really got into it in the end," Kurt smiled, moving to a new pile. Blaine looked back.

"I did," he admitted. "You guys have been doing this for a while, right?"

"Yeah," Kurt confirmed. "Started off just a few of us, then every time more of us joined in. We used to do it in my basement, but then with more and more people, plus Artie's chair, we needed a bigger venue and they've been kind enough to let us use the school, so long as we don't misuse our power or break anything. 'Leave everything as you found it,' you know?"

"So, how often do you do these?" Blaine asked, and Kurt paused.

"Well… it depends… Usually it's a few weeks in between." He paused once more. "Why do you ask?"

"I just thought, whenever you do the next one, I hope you'll invite me again," Blaine smiled, and Kurt thought he just might drop the dust buster and get pelted in confetti. It would have been appropriate at this point, with how his heart raced.

"You'll be the first to know."

THE END


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